Specimen Carp Lakes In Somerset: The Best Day Ticket Venues

If you like carp fishing, countryside, cheese and cider, then Somerset is probably the ideal location for you to try and put a bend in the rod.

With beautiful views stretching as far as the eye can see and some fantastic fisheries in amongst them, Somerset is a popular carp fishing destination for those who live in the area and others who are just visiting.

Disclaimer: I was born in Somerset, so I might be slightly biased!

With the confessions out of the way, in alphabetical order, let’s take a look at some of the best day ticket carp fishing lakes in Somerset.

Acorn Carp Fishery (Clevedon)

Acorn Carp Fishery is located in Kingston Seymour, which is approximately 4 miles from Clevedon.

The Acorn Carp Fishery complex has 3 lakes in total. There are 2 match/pleasure lakes in addition to the one that we are interested in – the main carp lake.

Nearly 400 carp are resident in the 3.5 acre lake, giving anglers in excess of 100 carp per acre of water to target. The owners remove the smaller fish every year, which brings the average size up to an impressive mid/upper double figures. The lake record is in excess of 34lb and there are over 100 mirrors and commons in the 20lb+ bracket.

16 pegs surround the tree-lined banks and most areas of the lake have depths ranging between a minimum of 3ft and a maximum of 7ft. If you would like to learn even more, you can read our in-depth review of Acorn Carp Fishery.

There are toilets and showers on-site and there is a small cafe and tackle shop. For anglers who wish to travel light, some of the pegs come with a purpose-built hut, which incurs an additional cost.

A 12 hour day ticket at this north Somerset fishery runs from either 7am-7pm, or 7pm-7am and costs £15 per angler for 2 rods, with the use of a third rod being priced at an extra £5. A 24 hour ticket will set you back £25.

Acorn Carp Fishery At A Glance:

Avalon Fisheries (Glastonbury)

Avalon Fisheries is located in Westhay, which is around 6 miles from Glastonbury.

You will find 3 lakes on the Avalon Fisheries complex. Moors Lake is a match water, Fenwood is a specimen lake for syndicate members only and Heath Lake is their day ticket carp lake.

With 23 pegs on the 2 acre Heath Lake, it can become extremely crowded when it is busy. With that being said, there is a generous stock of carp and the current lake record tipped the scales in excess of 30lb. Night fishing is restricted to a maximum of 12 pegs.

Most areas of the lake have water depths fluctuating between 3ft and 6ft and the margins are known to be particularly productive at this east Somerset fishery.

A 2 rod day ticket for Heath Lake is £10 with a 24 hour ticket costing £20.

Avalon Fisheries At A Glance:

Bullock Farm Fishery (Clevedon)

Bullock Farm Fishery is located in Kingston Seymour, which is approximately 4 miles from Clevedon.

There are 5 lakes on this holiday campsite and, while there are silver fish in all of them, it is the carp lake (obviously!) that holds the biggest fish on the complex.

At roughly 1 acre in size and heavily stocked with smaller fish, you could be forgiven for thinking that this isn’t a lake for the serious carp angler. However, looks can be deceiving, and with a good number of mid/upper doubles as back up to carp of over 27lb, this lake can deliver some good results.

Night fishing is not allowed at this north Somerset venue, but a dawn to dusk day ticket allows the use of up to 3 rods and costs £8.

Bullock Farm Fishery At A Glance:

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Burton Springs Fishery (Bridgwater)

Burton Springs Fishery is located on Lawson Farm in Burton, which is around 10 miles from Bridgwater.

The complex comprises of 3 lakes in total, but the specimen carp lake is the one that we are most interested in.

At roughly 2 acres in size and with only 6 pegs (4 x double pegs and 2 x single pegs), it is one of the more intimate venues on this list, but don’t let that put you off.

With a maximum of 10 anglers at any time, this is an unpressured water which yields results from close-range fishing in the margins as well as fishing at longer distances (c.70 yards) to the island. Peg 3 has the deepest water, so tends to be the most productive peg during the winter and peg 6 has the shallower areas of water, so is usually the most productive during the summer months.

There are in excess of 30 carp that have crossed the magical 20lb barrier and the lake record is over 30lb. The lake is stocked with mirror, common and grass carp and the average weight is mid/upper double figures. The total stock is estimated to be in excess of 130 carp, all over 10lbs in weight.

There is a small shop on-site that sells essential fishing tackle items, as well as a range of drinks and snacks. There are also toilet and shower facilities.

Day tickets at this mid Somerset fishery are priced at £11 and are only available from Monday to Friday. Anglers wanting to fish at the weekend are required to book for a minimum of 24 hours at a cost of £21. Dogs are welcome but are charged at £3 per dog, per night. Woof!

Burton Springs Fishery At A Glance:

Emerald Pool Fishery (Bridgwater)

Emerald Pool Fishery is located in Highbridge, which is approximately 6 miles from Bridgwater.

There are 4 lakes at Emerald Pool Fishery – Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby and Jade.

With the other three lakes holding smaller fish, our focus is on Jade Lake, where the bigger residents of the complex reside.

At only 2 acres in size, this is a relatively small water and with 30 pegs, it can get crowded at times. While there are some shallow and deep areas to find, the average depth is around 6ft.

Some smaller fish do exist in Jade Lake, but my experience suggests that the average size carp is in the mid/upper double-figure bracket, with the lake record currently being over 30lbs.

Day ticket prices at this mid Somerset fishery start at £8 per day for one rod, with each additional rod costing an extra £2. Night fishing is permitted and costs £24 per 24 hours, with cabins available at no extra cost on a first-come, first-served basis.

Emerald Pool Fishery At A Glance:

Festival Carp Fishery (Glastonbury)

Festival Carp Fishery is located in Sharpham, which is around 3 miles from Glastonbury.

The lake is 5.5 acres in size and has a bridge connecting 2 islands, where 11 of the 12 pegs are situated. With the lake being designed in this way, it means that you are positioned in the centre of the lake and the far margins are to the outer edge of the lake.

With a stock of approximately 450 mirrors and commons, Festival Carp Fishery boasts an impressive 80 carp per acre of water. While there are some mid/upper doubles present, the lake has a good head of fish over 20lb, several over 30lb with the lake records for both commons and mirrors crossing the 40lb barrier.

There are clean toilets and showers on-site and food can be ordered and delivered directly to your peg.

Ticket prices at this east Somerset fishery start from £26 for 24 hours, while a 48 hour session will set you back £50. Priority is given to 48 hour weekend bookings, though 24 hour sessions will be permitted (subject to availability).

Festival Carp Fishery At A Glance:

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Follyfoot Fishery (Taunton)

Follyfoot Fishery is located in North Petherton, which is approximately 7 miles from Taunton.

Situated in close proximity to the Quantock Hills sits the 3 acre lake, which is heavily stocked with carp boasting an average weight of mid-double figures.

The lake record currently stands around the 30lb mark with several other fish getting close to this figure. There is also an elusive fish which has never been caught, which is believed to be even bigger.

Day ticket prices at this south Somerset fishery start at £10, which allows you to fish from 7:30am until sunset. An evening ticket in the summer months is priced at £6 while a 24 hour ticket will set you back £25.

Follyfoot Fishery At A Glance:

Lands End Fishery (Cheddar)

Lands End Fishery is located in Wedmore, which is around 7 miles from Cheddar.

There are 4 lakes on the Lands End Fishery complex, which is situated on the Somerset Levels. While there are carp in all of the lakes, it is Tadham Specimen Lake that is home to the larger residents.

At around 1 acre in size and boasting a central island, you will never need more than an underarm chuck when fishing Tadham Specimen Lake. However, the far bank of the lake offers a little more water than the near bank and tends to get ignored by anglers who simply slot into the nearest available peg.

The lake is heavily stocked and there are a number of smaller carp. However, low/mid double figure seems to be the average size and the lake record is in excess of 27lb.

There is an on-site cafe that serves food on match days and weekends and there are male and female toilets with hand-washing facilities.

Night fishing is not allowed at this mid Somerset venue, but a 2 rod day ticket is available for £7.

Lands End Fishery At A Glance:

Pavyotts Mill Carp Fishery (Yeovil)

Pavyotts Mill Carp Fishery is located in East Coker, which is approximately 4 miles from Yeovil.

There are 3 lakes in total at the complex, all holding carp to in excess of 30lb.

The lake that grabs the most attention at the Pavyotts Mill Fishery is The Maze. This is an 8 acre lake which has 13 double pegs and holds fish to over 50lb. The Maze is the biggest on the complex and also the deepest, with average depths of 10ft.

Each peg on The Maze lake has a purpose-built hut (similar to a garden shed) and is equipped with a landing net, weigh sling and carp cradle. You are able to drive your vehicle directly to your peg and all of the outside areas are gravel, meaning that a rod pod is recommended.

Josh’s Lake and Jade’s Lake are the other 2 lakes on the Pavyotts Mill complex. Josh’s Lake hosts 5 double pegs and offers 2 acres of water, with an average depth of 8ft, while Jade’s Lake has only 2 pegs and offers 1 acre of water, with an average depth of 9ft. Each lake holds mirror and common carp to over 30lb, so they offer some good-sized fish within smaller surroundings.

Like The Maze, Josh’s Lake and Jade’s Lake have purpose-built huts in each peg and come equipped with a landing net, weigh sling and carp cradle.

Ticket prices at this south Somerset fishery start from £150 for 48 hours for a double peg.

Pavyotts Mill Fishery At A Glance:

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Plantations Lakes (Clevedon)

Plantations Lakes is located in Kingston Seymour, which is around 5 miles from Clevedon.

A match lake, a coarse lake and a specimen lake are all available for day ticket fishing at this north-east Somerset venue. Obviously, we are only interested in the specimen lake.

At under an acre in size, the specimen lake is the smallest on the complex, but holds some good-sized carp. The tree-lined banks and central island provide a natural, mature feel.

Most baits work well on the specimen lake, with boilies and pellets always producing good results. The average fish size at this north Somerset fishery is mid/upper double with a good head of 20lb+ fish. The lake record is close to exceeding the 30lb barrier.

As with a lot of lakes in this area, night fishing is not allowed. A 2 rod day ticket costs £10.

Plantations Lakes At A Glance:

Shiplate Carp Fishery (Weston-super-Mare)

Shiplate Carp Fishery is located in Bleadon, which is approximately 5 miles from Weston-super-Mare.

There are 4 lakes in total on the Shiplate Carp Fishery complex, but it is the main lake that holds the biggest fish.

There are 14 pegs on the main lake, which extends to just over 3 acres in size. There are 2 islands which tend to be hotspots when looking for a bite.

Mainline cell or pineapple boilies have always yielded good results when fishing here and the fish tend to respond well to a little-and-often feeding approach.

While there are some larger fish in here, the average size tends to be low double-figures. The lake record at this north Somerset fishery is rumoured to be in excess of 30lb.

Unfortunately, no night fishing is allowed at Shiplate Carp Fishery and the opening days are restricted during the winter months. A day ticket for 1 rod costs £8 with a charge of £4 for each additional rod.

Shiplate Carp Fishery At A Glance:

Trinity Waters Fishery (Bridgwater)

Trinity Waters Fishery is located in Chilton Trinity, which is around 3 miles from Bridgwater.

With 5 lakes on-site, there are lakes to suit many different styles of fishing. However, with our eyes on the main prize, the lake of interest on this complex is the one which holds the specimen carp – Chandos Lake.

There are 9 pegs (5 of which are double pegs) on this 3 acre lake which boasts an island that can be fished to from several of the pegs. The bottom is quite silty, but there are a few hard spots that are known to be productive.

This is quite a difficult water and one on which I have blanked on numerous occasions! With that being said, the rewards are there for the taking with the lake record being in excess of 30lbs and many other fish pushing in that direction.

There is a bait shop on-site and sandwiches are served until midday. Multiple toilets are available across the complex.

Day ticket prices at this mid Somerset fishery start at £7 for one rod with each additional rod costing £2. A 24 hour ticket costs £20 for the first night with each subsequent 24 hour period costing £10.

Trinity Waters Fishery At A Glance:

Viaduct Fisheries (Glastonbury)

Viaduct Fisheries is located in Somerton, which is approximately 10 miles from Glastonbury.

There are 6 lakes on the Viaduct Fisheries complex and 4 of them hold carp in excess of 20lb.

Spring Lake and Middle Lake are joined by connecting gullies and, although they do hold a number of silver fish, they are classed as the specimen lakes on the complex as they hold the higher number of larger carp.

Lodge Lake has a number of smaller carp, but there are fish to 22lb so it shouldn’t be ignored. Cary Lake is the runs water of the complex with a large number of double-figured carp, the biggest of which tipped the scales at 24lb.

All of the lakes at this east Somerset fishery are well matured and boast lots of features including overhanging willows, islands and lily pads. The margins should never be ignored and have been known to produce some of the biggest carp on the complex.

Night fishing is not allowed at Viaduct Fisheries and day ticket prices start from £8.

Viaduct Fisheries At A Glance:

Walton Carp Lake (Glastonbury)

Walton Carp Lake is located in Sharpham, which is around 3 miles from Glastonbury.

Although it is situated near to Festival Carp Fishery, I felt that Walton Carp Lake was worthy of an entry in its own right. Read our in-depth review of Walton Carp Lake

The lake covers approximately 4 acres of water and has 15 wood-chipped pegs (though only 13 anglers can fish at one time). There is a central island and 2 spits of land as the main features.

With a stock of 400 carp, there are 100 carp per acre of water, so a good session can be had if you get your tactics right. The average size carp is low/mid double figures, but there is a good head of upper doubles and many fish in excess of 20lb. The lake record is currently mid-20lb, but it won’t be long before the magical 30lb barrier has been crossed.

There are clean toilets and showers on-site and food can be ordered and delivered directly to your peg.

Day tickets at this east Somerset fishery start at £10, with 24 hour tickets costing £20. There are discounts for long-staying anglers.

Walton Carp Lake At A Glance:

Conclusion

Some of the biggest carp in the south-west region can be found in Somerset, so it is no wonder it is popular with local and visiting anglers alike.

Carp fishing in Somerset isn’t just about the size of the carp though, the peaceful locations and far-stretching views of countryside are what make it extra special (again, that could be my bias shining through!)

Have you ever fished in Somerset? If so, which lakes are your favourite? Please let me know in the comments if you have.